FretShack signal!!!! Question for Fret and any others on here who aren't as good.

Have you played the guitar yet? How does it sound and play?
Personally, I don't really care for fretboard inlay anymore, I just like the side dots. You can do those with a small drill and hot glue gun or something.

As far as your headstock decal goes, if it is the kind that is printed on clear plastic with a paper backing, you probably want to use a few drops of warm soapy water on the headstock to make it easy to move the decal around on the headstock and get the perfect position, then roll the water and air bubbles from under the sticker and dry the moisture as quick as possible, let it dry well and apply some clear over it.

Add Philadelphia Luthier Supply to your source list. I get my side dots from SM.

Have four decals handy so you have a backup, a backup for it and a backup for it. If you only have one decal, it will tear, crinkle and/or bubble, that's how the world works.

My favorite sources for custom decals are Rothko and Frost in the UK and Uncle Nerky in Canada.

Hit me up if you need fret leveling or a supply list to prep for a DIY. In the case of the latter, a DIY'er should plan to spend $2K in tooling for pro results.

Here's your "also get if you don't already have" list, with the items placed in order of use:

Notched straight edge: The MVP of ALL my guitar tools. You need the neck DEAD STRAIGHT, ABSOLUTELY FLAT AND THE GUITAR STABILIZED BEFORE YOU LEVEL FRETS and you cannot do it without a notched straight edge. PERIOD.

Masking tape to mask fingerboard, Sharpie to ink fret tops.

A. Flat sanding bar.

B. Fret file. I use a diamond offset to recrown. Be sure to re-ink fret tops before you recrown

C. Metal guards for the board. You can have mine if you want them, I never use them for anything. If you tape the board and you still need guards, you need better files AND better techniques LOL

D. Mini files (kobalt set of 5). What are these for?

E. Little sanding blocks. (Maybe useless). I use 400, 600, 800 and 1000 Norton Black Ice wet/dry automotive grade sandpaper before I polish out. I use it dry.

F. Micro mesh.

Wish me luck “coach”. Lol

GOOD LUCK!

I just put a fresh set of strings on my Taylor acoustic and noticed a very small groove on many of the B string frets? Is this some to be concerned about?

Also and how hard and/or how much does it cost to re-fret a guitar?

Does it reduce the value of a guitar to not have original frets?

I just put a fresh set of strings on my Taylor acoustic and noticed a very small groove on many of the B string frets? Is this some to be concerned about?

Shallow dimples in frets aren't a problem until you hear their effect on the fretted notes. Remedies range from fret leveling and recrown to a partial refret. I've only once done a full refret on an acoustic, a partial refret is typically plenty sufficient.

Also and how hard and/or how much does it cost to re-fret a guitar?

I was trained specifically for frets at one of America's top luthiery schools. You won't get a refret in my shop for under $350. You can find cheaper elsewhere. You can always find cheaper. You can also get exactly what you pay for.

Does it reduce the value of a guitar to not have original frets?

Yes, if it's a collector grade guitar. Most guitars are not collector or investment grade, however, no matter how much one wants to believe their high-dollar "limited edition" guitar is collectable.

In the case of player grade guitars, if the guitar is unplayable because the fret bed is too worn, that reduces the value too. So it's a case by case basis.

Shameless self-promotion moment ... here's a recent refret on a 1974 Telecaster in which I was able to slightly increase the size of the original frets to modern tastes, yet preserve the original clearcoat as part of the refret. This guitar sold a few days ago on eBay (owner bought it a month ago at the Dallas vintage show to fix it up and turn it). It sold at current vintage market prices, i.e., my refret didn't diminish value.

quote:

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Dallas vintage show

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Damn it when is Houston getting a guitar show?

You’d think a city that has a gun show near every third month could get a guitar show.

You'll be pleased to know no two jobs are the same. Each presents its own challenge. You have more fun for which to look forward. Awesome, huh?

Well. Still buzzing. But much better.

Gonna have to spot level.

I am really to the feast or famine stage now. One day I feel like I’m ready to set up a shop in my garage. Lol

Next day I’m ready to smash it to pieces. Or at least burn it and grill a burger over it.

Bump....


Woohoo.

She's not as pretty asa Martin 000-28EC that I was copying, but shes done and holds tune. Did not implode but I am still too scared to go to full pitch (standard tuning) still in Double Drop D.

I'll post pics when I get back to my device with imgur.

There are plenty of errors to scoff at and plenty of "fixes" I made that I will show for Frets amusement.